Strategic Sourcing Manager (Cincinnati Metropolitan Area)

Summary The Strategic Sourcing Manager is a high-impact individual contributor who owns co-manufacturing strategy and end-to-end commodity strategy for a defined portfolio of direct spend categories — from market intelligence and cost modeling to supplier contracting and external manufacturing partnerships. This role sits at the intersection of procurement, finance, and operations, directly influencing P&L outcomes and supply chain resilience. The ideal candidate brings deep category expertise, strong quantitative skills, and the executive presence to drive alignment and present defensible positions to C-suite stakeholders.

Duties and Responsibilities

· Own co-manufacturing strategy, including but not limited to: sourcing, contracting, and performance management

· Own category-level commodity strategy for assigned direct spend portfolio — including multi-year cost models, forward curve analysis, and scenario planning tied to business AOP and reforecast cycles

· Monitor commodity markets daily (CME futures, USDA, BLS PPI/CPI, trade publications) and translate real-time price movements into quantified P&L impact — communicating risk positions proactively to Finance and senior leadership

· Lead supplier negotiations for pricing, contract terms, and cost-reduction commitments; maintain contract coverage targets across managed categories and escalate material gaps to leadership

· Build and maintain commodity cost models and PPV tracking frameworks that bridge procurement actuals to Finance/FP&A; present inflation drivers, variance analysis, and risk exposure to C-suite and PE stakeholders

· Identify, quantify, and actively manage supply chain risk — including supply continuity, supplier financial health, and commodity price volatility — with documented contingency and mitigation plans

· Execute sourcing events (RFQ/RFP, competitive bids) for managed categories; evaluate total cost of ownership and lead supplier selection processes cross-functionally with R&D, Operations, and Finance

· Manage key supplier relationships through structured business reviews; drive accountability on cost, quality, service, and innovation commitments aligned to annual targets

· Leverage AI/ML tools and data platforms (e.g., SAP, Claude, market intelligence databases) to enhance cost visibility, identify savings opportunities, and improve forecast accuracy

Qualifications & Experience

· Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Finance, Business, or related field; relevant Master’s degree a plus

· 5+ years of direct procurement or commodity management experience; food/CPG industry strongly preferred. Candidates with 2+ years specifically managing commodity categories (e.g., dairy, oils, produce, grains, packaging) will be prioritized

· Demonstrated ability to build and present commodity cost models, inflation analyses, and PPV/variance reporting to senior leadership — candidate should be comfortable owning a deck in front of a C-suite audience

· Working knowledge of commodity market intelligence sources (CME futures, USDA reports, BLS PPI/CPI, industry indices); can speak fluently to current market conditions and their P&L implications without needing to be briefed

· Strong Excel proficiency for cost modeling and scenario analysis; experience with SAP (purchasing/reporting modules) and data visualization tools (Power BI or equivalent)

· Experience with AI/ML tools (e.g., Claude, GPT, Gemini) applied to procurement workflows — including market research, data synthesis, and dashboarding — is a differentiating plus

· Strong negotiator and cross-functional communicator; able to defend positions with data, build internal alignment across Finance, Operations, and R&D, and manage supplier relationships professionally under pressure

· Experience with Dairy sourcing, contracting, and performance management is a strong plus.